


Viscaria

by iisaax



Series: Inflorescence [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Dancing, Deaf Clint Barton, Genderfluid Character, Happy Ending, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Swing Dancing, Trans Character, hand-holding, lots of hand-holding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 00:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15696360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iisaax/pseuds/iisaax
Summary: Steve's view of the room had been turning, turning, then he hit the ground with a thud.“Are you okay?” They sounded concerned, but laughed at him all the same.Steve opened his eyes and rubbed the back of his head where it had knocked against the wood floor. “Yeah. I think.”Bucky helped him up, still laughing.-vis·car·ia/viˈska(a)rēə/1. a genus of alpine or boreal plants with viscous stems2. represents an invitation to dance





	Viscaria

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! I've gotten a couple of really sweet messages about this series, and I just wanted to say real quick: THANK YOU! I'm so so glad y'all like it, and I can't wait for y'all to see what all else I have planned. 
> 
> Happy reading!

Steve's view of the room had been turning, turning, then he hit the ground with a thud. 

“Are you okay?” They sounded concerned, but laughed at him all the same.

Steve opened his eyes and rubbed the back of his head where it had knocked against the wood floor. “Yeah. I think.”

Bucky helped him up, still laughing. 

“Sorry,” they dusted him off. “That was my fault. I spun you too hard.”

He checked his pants for any rips - not like another tear would look too out of place - and looked up at Bucky. Their eyes were shining, as well as their forehead, and they were breathing hard through a smile. If Steve went breathless, well, it was because of his bad lungs.

“You sure you’re okay?” Bucky asked him, pausing their brushing to place a warm hand on the side of his warmer neck. “We can always take a break, y’know. You want some water?”

“I told you, I’m fine.” Steve straightened up. “Now what was that step?”

Bucky got back into position and showed him, a one, two, three, four step. “Out on five…” and they used a hand to swirl around for the rest of the eight-count, explaining, “That’s you. Then back on one, two…”

Steve nodded, frowning in concentration. They’d been practicing for a good hour, and he was starting to sweat a little bit, and - not to mention - his butt was getting a little tired of hitting the floor.

“You try,” Bucky held out a hand, beckoning him into the hold. “Then it’ll be my turn.”

Steve moved back into their space, taking their hands. The both started dancing, Bucky leading, but when it was time to do the actual free spin, Steve tripped and fell.

“Dammit!” he cried from his spot on the ground. 

Bucky helped him up. Then they tried it one more time, Steve falling again. 

“ _Dammit_! Again. Let’s do it again,” Steve pushed himself up, arms shaking with the exertion.

“I think we should pause for a bit,” Bucky placed a hand on his chest, feeling for his heartbeat. “Don’t want you passin’ out on me.”

Steve pouted, but complied, sitting down on the couch. Bucky fetched him a glass of water, and he took it, gulping it down. Guess he _was_ thirsty. As Steve caught his breath, lungs actually feeling a little tight now, Bucky danced by themself, this time following. They spun on the spot, skirt billowing out, then stepped into the last count, hands out. 

Steve pouted some more. “How are you so good at that?” he complained.

Bucky beamed at him, shrugging. They smoothed out their skirt where it had landed out of place, then turned their hips back and forth so it swished, smile softening.

Steve watched for a moment, then asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to go out dancin’ for real with that on? I’m tellin’ you, it’d be so packed no one would even notice.”

“Naw,” they drawled, still swishing. “Too risky. It _would_ be fun, though. Say, wanna try an aerial? We could do it like Frankie Manning.” They bent over, moving their hands out and over their back, which Steve presumed to me him, risking his life vaulting over their head.

“No way!” he exclaimed, grinning. “You do it!”

“I can’t flip over onto your back - you’ll break!” Bucky laughed.

Steve waved them off. “You’re no fun. I could do this all day.”

“Punk. Don’t use that old line on me,” they sat down next to him, eyes sparkling. “I’m immune to Steve-bullshit. Hand me the water?”

Steve handed it over, scoffing at them playfully. 

As Bucky drank the rest of the water, pouring a little out to rub on the back of their neck, Steve brainstormed. Yeah, he guessed Buck couldn’t actually go out and start swing dancing in a dress, but it was still fun to think about. Everyone would sure be impressed - that is, if they could get their heads out of their asses. 

“Wanna go again? I really could do this all day,” Bucky teased him. 

Steve blinked out his daydream, then nodded, cheeks starting to hurt from how much he’d smiled in the last several minutes. “Sure, Buck,” he said, taking their hand.

-

Steve is leaning against the back wall, sipping on a coke. He peers over the rim of his red Solo cup - a little out of place at one of Tony's events - at the throng of people on the dance floor. He can see the man of the hour, Tony, doing some kind of weird moves with Pepper (What did Sam call it? Vouging?), and Clint, who is clumsily following Natasha in a ballet duet. He also spots Bruce, who is chatting with Thor and Sam by the refreshments.

He looks at his watch. Bucky’s been in the bathroom for an awfully long time. He decides to go look for them. 

The trash bins are on the way to where the bathroom is, so he finishes his drink and tosses the cup into one. The cup is immediately vaporized by some kind of laser, and he raises his eyebrows, _almost_ getting distracted from the task at hand. Then, he heads to the restrooms. Tony has installed signs on the doors rather haphazardly on top of the old male and female ones, these reading “urinals” and “not urinals.” Steve opens “urinals,” and walks in.

Buck’s not in the area with the sinks, or in the area with the promised urinals, so he starts wandering over to the stalls. Only one is closed, and he knocks on it quietly. “Buck?”

“Yeah,” comes the even quieter reply. 

“You okay?”

“Yes,” they say. Then, “No.”

“Can I come in?”

Bucky answers by unfastening the lock on their door, and Steve pushes it open. Bucky is sitting on the toilet lid, chin in their metal palm, the other playing with the ribbon wrapped around their waist. They look up at him, lip poked out. “Hey…” they mumble.

Steve shuts the door behind him and kneels down on the floor. “Hey. What’s the matter?” he places a hand on their knee. 

They shrug, looking away. 

“Too crowded? Loud?”

They shake their head, face pinching a bit.

“What’s wrong, baby?” he soothes, smoothing down the hem of their skirt where it falls just above their knee. “I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Bucky shrugs again, eyes starting to well up with tears. They sniff a sob, raising a hand to wipe at their face. 

Steve pulls them into a hug, heart breaking a little. He hushes them, rubbing a hand along their back in the way they’ve always liked. “Tell me what’s wrong, Buck. Do you wanna go home?”

Steve can feel them shake their head, and he pulls back, using some toilet paper to blot at their trailing mascara. 

“I,” they start, hiccupping. “I’m so scared.”

“Why?” Steve strokes his hands down their arms. “There’s nothin’ to be scared of; it’s our friends.”

“I- I don’t know,” Buck plays with their ribbon again. “But I am. I don’t want to dance in- in front of them. They’re gonna make fun of me.”

“No one’s gonna make fun of you, Buck. They love you. _I_ love you. If anyone wants to say somethin’, they’ll have to get through me.”

Buck gives him a watery smile. “I know…I’m just…Not used to dancing in front of people wearin’ somethin’ like this.” They gesture down at themself, where a brand new dress hangs over their body. It’s an old swing-style dress. They had been so excited to wear it. Steve’s heart breaks a little more.

“You don’t have to if you don’t wanna. We can always just head back to the apartment and dance there. We don’t need nobody else,” he tells them, cupping their wet cheek in a hand. 

“But I got all dolled up, and we drove all the way out here, and- and I don’t want to disappoint nobody. I told Tasha I’d dance with her...” they bemoan. 

“That can always wait for another time. Whatever makes you most comfortable,” he offers again.

Bucky thinks on it for a minute, wiping away their smudged eye makeup. They throw the napkin away, then chew at their lip. 

“You’re sure no one’s gonna laugh at me?” they finally ask, shyly.

“Positive. And like I said, if they do, they’re gonna have to answer to me. ‘Member, I’m actually intimidating now,” he adds with a smile. “What do you say?”

Bucky sighs, smiling back. “Okay. Let me just fix my eyeliner.”

After a quick pit-stop at the mirrors, the two creep out of the bathroom, Steve leading. Bucky hangs back for a moment, tightening their braid and making sure their outfit is in order, then they walk back into the main room hand-in-hand.

Steve fears for a second that the music will stop and everyone will stare, but nothing happens. No one even seems to notice them coming back in the room, save Thor, who happens to be nearby. 

“Friend Bucky!” he calls. “So glad you decided to join our festivities. Are you looking for a dance partner?”

Bucky holds up their hand where it clutches at Steve’s. “I’m good, thank you, Thor.”

“Ah, yes. I had almost forgotten you two are a couple. Well, if you find yourself needing another, do not hesitate to ask!” He then downs his drink and tosses it to the ground, making Steve jump. Maybe _that’s_ why the cups are plastic.

Steve pulls Bucky out further, walking backwards into the crowd. When they get to a spot close to the exit, but far enough into the fray that they don’t stand out too much, Steve holds up his hands for a Charleston.

Bucky rolls their eyes with a smile, still a tad bit weepy, and begins to dance with him.

They dance for a long while, making their way around the room. Bucky eventually starts to laugh, throwing their head back. Steve grins, guiding them into a Lindy Hop. 

At that point, Tony must spot them, because he hops up onto the stage and switches the song over to an upbeat jazz song. Steve recognizes the tune, and tugs Bucky in close for a dip, cheeks starting to hurt. 

“Is this ‘Sing, Sing, Sing?’” they ask as he pulls them back up, grinning wildly.

“You know it is,” Steve dips them again. “Wanna do an aerial?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

Steve steps into place, one, two, three, four, and Bucky twirls out, skirt swinging in the air.

They bite their lip with a smirk, then twirl in, pressing their back against Steve’s. Their legs fly through the air, then they land with a laugh beside Steve. Steve immediately pulls them in for another dip, this time down between his legs, then helps them hop up, laughing right along with them.

He can hear Sam and a few others cheering, but all he can see is Bucky smiling back.

The song moves on to a Glenn Miller, and Steve tucks Buck against his chest to sway back and forth with the hi-hats. He tilts his head down and kisses them, and they taste like mint and strawberry. Must be the lipgloss — or maybe they just taste good. Steve's never really been able to tell the difference. 

“Having fun?” he asks when they pull back. 

Bucky nods, still smiling, then leans back in. “I’m glad we stayed,” they mumble against his lips.

Steve hums. “Me too.”

They sway until the song switches to another Miller, this one slower. They walk over to the food, Bucky reaching for the cupcakes with one hand, the other never leaving Steve’s.

Clint comes up and yells at them, “That was amazing! Can you show me how to jive like that?” he starts twisting on the spot. “That’s what you guys call it, right?”

Steve rolls his eyes good-naturedly and points to his ear, miming turning up a dial. 

Oh, Clint mouths, messing with his ear for a second. Then he says, at a much more reasonable volume, “That one move was so cool. Seriously, I want some lessons.” He goes to take a bite of his own cupcake, and the icing slides off of the top and lands near his foot. “Aw, cupcake.”

Bucky hands him a new one, having finished theirs in record time. “Thanks,” they tell him. “Oh, you got a little…”

Clint reaches for his nose, where icing sits on the tip. “Aw, _cupcake_ ,” he mutters, walking away.

Steve turns to Bucky, who is starting on a second cupcake of their own, licking off the icing. Steve’ll never know how they can eat it like that. “Ready to head back out?”

“Yep,” Bucky takes a huge bite. “Lemme just finish this.”

After Bucky finishes their cupcake, and Steve swats their hand away from a third, they return to the dance floor. An Artie Shaw song starts playing, and Bucky leads him into a medium-paced foxtrot. 

Natasha sidles up next to them at some point, and Bucky and Natasha’s current dance partner, Sam, switch places. Sam isn’t quite as good as Bucky is, but knows the steps well enough to keep it going. Steve looks over at where Natasha has started ballroom dancing with Bucky, and smiles. Bucky is getting way into it, their skirt gliding through the air alongside Natasha’s as they spin. Steve turns back to Sam, who is watching them too. 

“Have you asked Nat out yet?” he asks him, leading him into an easy pivot. 

Sam’s head whips back towards Steve, like he was caught doing something he shouldn’t, and he droops sheepishly. “No. Not yet.”

“I’m telling you, she can’t say no.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. A pity date. She’s way out of my league, man.”

Steve shrugs, leading him back into a promenade. “I say go for it.”

Speak of the devil, Nat dances back over with Bucky, and they and Sam switch again. Steve sends Sam off with a wink and guides Buck into his arms.

“What was that about?” Bucky asks, a little out of breath.

“Sam likes Natasha, but won’t do anything about it.” The two roll away from each other, then reconnect. “I said he should just go for it. What do people say now? You only live once?”

Bucky rolls their eyes. “A little late on that one, Stevie. I do agree with ya, though.” 

They dance until the song ends, then Tony puts back on some kind of generic pop song. 

Bucky steps away and curtsies at Steve, who bows right back. 

“Wanna head home?” Steve asks, straightening up. “I kinda wanted to keep swing dancing.”

“Me too,” they tell him. “Let’s ditch.”

They sneak out the back, Bucky stealing another cupcake, and head towards the car. They close the doors behind them, then kiss across the center console, Steve tangling a hand in their hair long since fallen out of its braid. 

Bucky sighs, placing their flesh palm on Steve’s jaw. “Thank you for making me stay that long. I had fun.”

“I’m glad,” Steve tells them, starting the car. “Let’s go dance some more.”

Bucky nods eagerly, and their hand remains glued to his the whole way back.

**Author's Note:**

> The songs they danced to:  
> 1\. [Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2S1I_ien6A)  
> 2\. [In the Mood by Glenn Miller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CI-0E_jses)  
> 3\. [Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TB_8H23EDI)  
> 4\. [Begin the Beguine by Artie Shaw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNcPnEc99UE)
> 
> Flower meaning is from [wikipedia.org](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_symbolism)
> 
> As always, let me know if you catch any errors. Thanks for reading and commenting!!!


End file.
